Mission

Research Centre Hoogstraten (PCH) gives substance and form to the following fundamental ideas of its mission as set out in PCH's statutes:

To promote and support horticultural crops in all their forms by conducting (applied) scientific and demonstrative practical research and education.
To vulgarise and implement the obtained research results.
To provide growers and the horticultural sector with all useful announcements and information concerning these horticultural crops via the available communication channels (study meetings, lectures, tours, newsletters, website, extranet,...).

PCH's tasks relate to sectors in agriculture and horticulture and include:

Testing the results of applied agricultural research under practical conditions.
Checking the application possibilities of new techniques and cultivation methods as well as the improvement of existing techniques and cultivation methods under practical conditions.
The promotion of new and existing crops for sustainable production.
Studying the business economics of crops and techniques. To contribute to the improvement of the economic efficiency of farming companies.
Contributing to the reconversion or diversification possibilities of certain farm types.
Improving the quality of products.
Disseminating the results of applied research and application development.

Providing information on cultivation and economic aspects of the production sector.
Contributing to the further development of growth sectors such as organic farming.
Providing advice and services to the collective of farmers and horticulturists. Providing goods and services to farmers and horticulturists and related sectors.
Making all subsidised research results public to the entire agriculture and horticulture sector.
Participating in awareness-raising actions, as referred to in the Decree of the Flemish government on subsidising awareness-raising actions to promote sustainable agriculture.
Development and implementation of an information strategy and, where relevant, in consultation with the other test centres belonging to the same coordination committee.